iPad mini interest has doubled in under 6 months

It appears that interest in Apple's newest tablet is on the rise. According to a survey conducted by daily deals website TechBargains, interest in the iPad mini has risen to 33%, compared to 18% when the same survey was conducted back in September. That's almost double of what the interest was nearly six months ago.

Furthermore, as for what respondents wanted to see most on the next-generation iPad mini, 87% said they wanted to see longer battery life, and 85% said they wanted to see a faster processor. A Retina display was also at the top of the wish list, with 77% saying they wanted a more pixel-dense display, and 76% want a USB port, although we don't see that happening anytime soon, if ever.

This comes a day after the IDC increased its 2013 forecast for Android tablet shipments from 172 million to almost 191 million, as low cost tablets are expected to be a big hit this year, and the low cost of the slates are believed to be the main reason behind the success of Android tablets. While the iPad mini is priced above most budget Android tablets, the smaller Apple slate is fairly cheaper than a full-size iPad.

Apple launched the iPad mini back in October, and the company is rumored to launch the second-generation iPad mini sometime during the spring, along with a new iPhone, although a new generation for the iPad mini and iPhone seems a bit early at this point, but a spring event could be Apple's main event in 2013, while it was a September event last year when Apple announced most of their new products that year.